Fire Emblem Fates Story Rewrite
by digitaldreams0801
Summary: Imagine if Fire Emblem Fates had a different story... Dive into an author's interpretation of how the story could have gone with incredible detail and learn about the war on the continent of Pheuyura between Hoshido, Nohr, and the mysterious Valla. Join your favorite vegetable-named protagonist as we go on adventures of birthright, conquest, and revelation all across the land.
1. World Building

**_AUTHOR'S NOTE_**

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 ** _Well, here we are. A Fates rewrite summary in which the story is hopefully good._**

 ** _I got a lot of creative freedom here since so little about the world of Fates is revealed in the games. I took what information I had and used it in a way I hope was creative._**

 ** _Before getting onto the actual plot summary, here's a little important information for you to know. First off, we have ages of the royals. Since no ages are really revealed, I made some up myself._**

 ** _When Corrin is kidnapped ages go as follows: Ryoma and Xander are 14. Hinoka and Camilla are 12. Azura is 11. Corrin is 10. Takumi and Leo are 8. Sakura and Elise are 6. When Fates begins, Ryoma and Xander are 22. Hinoka and Camilla are 20. Azura is 19. Corrin is 18. Takumi and Leo are 16. Sakura and Elise are 14._**

 ** _Next, we have a quick tidbit about Valla. It is not built into a canyon. There is a Bottomless Canyon, but it instead runs along the bottom border of Valla, which is between Nohr and Hoshido. From a height standpoint, Valla is below Nohr and Hoshido thanks to terrain and stuff. Another thing, speaking of Valla, is that Lost in Thoughts is no longer as dangerous to the singer of it._**

 ** _Finally, the Yato doesn't get any upgrades aside from becoming the Omega Yato in Revelation. It's just the Yato the entire time besides that. Sorry, Corrin. No extra upgrades for you._**

 ** _The rest is pretty much self-explanatory when I get started on the story summary. I'll explain it as I go along. I hope you enjoy my idea for Fates' story!_**

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 **STEP ONE: WORLDBUILDING**

Welcome to the continent of Pheuyura (pronounced fway-yoo-rah). Hundreds of years before Fates, there were three important dragons. There was the Dawn Dragon by the name of Akiri who settled in the eastern area of the continent. The Dusk Dragon named Yugare settled in the west. In the center, the Midnight Dragon Anankos resided. All three dragons had their own sort of people based off the personalities of the dragons.

Those under Akiri were free-spirited and relaxed, choosing to keep to themselves. These people later founded Hoshido. The royal family inherited four weapons from Akiri. There was a sword by the name of Raijinto. Two bows were also created, one named Warrior Princess (a name it was given based off the title of its first wielder, the original queen of Hoshido) and the other Fujin Yumi. Finally, a staff named Sanata was created, one said to have mystical properties. Each weapon had pieces of Akiri's dragonstone on them. The throne of Hoshido as well as the crown also had pieces of the stone inside.

The people of Yugare were much more focused on power and strength. These people created Nohr, which also had four weapons. The first was the sword Siegfried. The second was an axe known as Sukeyu. Two tomes finished off the bunch, those being Brynhildr and Moonlight. All of these were also infused with a dragonstone, though these pieces came from Yugare's. The crown of Nohr contained a piece as well. A final shard of the stone was found inside a knife owned by a noble of Nohr, an ancestor to Iago. The knife was called Spectre.

Finally, the peacekeepers and moderators between Nohr and Hoshido created a third nation known as Valla. This one was under the dragon Anankos. It was not inside of a canyon because building a kingdom inside of a canyon is ridiculous. It received two weapons, the sword Yato and the spear Safaia, which had pieces of the dragonstone. A crown was also given to them. A necklace had much of Anankos' dragonstone in it. Said necklace was passed down from queen to queen in the royal Vallite family. A smaller dragonstone was also formed from the larger piece, another heirloom of the Vallite royal family. A song was also passed down in the family, the modern name being Lost in Thoughts All Alone, a tale said to be about Anankos' fall.

The weapons, crowns, and other talismans of the dragons were passed down after the dragons left behind the mortal world. All three dragons also left behind their blood inside of the royals, giving them power to activate Dragon Veins, spare pieces of the draconic power left behind. All royals are vulnerable to wyrmslayers, though those with actual dragon forms are much more vulnerable to the weapons.

Anankos, the strongest of the three, remained for a long time afterwards, where his younger sisters died not long after the countries were founded and pieces of the dragonstones forged the important objects of Nohr and Hoshido. Anankos lived until shortly before Fates took place.

The countries later broke off to form smaller countries as time passed. From Hoshido, Kohga, Izumo, Mokushu, and Aulane (a new, small country where the Flame Tribe resides) were formed. From Nohr, Cheve and Nestra were born. Finally, a piece of Valla became Notre Sagesse, a kingdom built into a mountain.

Now that basic world building is out of the way, we go onto the background information for the story of Fates.

Back before Fates took place, there were the kings prior to Garon and Sumeragi. The Nohrian king was named Giovanni and the Hoshidan king Haruto. Valla was being ruled by a woman named Aika at the time, who would later give birth to Crown Princess Arete and the younger royal Mikoto. Giovanni and his queen had Garon while Haruto and his wife had Sumeragi years later.

Nohr was growing short on food due to a lack of sunlight there. The darkness in the sky wasn't always there. Instead, it appeared around ten years before a fated meeting between Giovanni, Haruto, and Aika. Because no crops could grow in the darkness, food didn't last long. Nohrians were growing sick and weak due to the lack of food, so Giovanni was planning on asking Haruto and Aika for help to feed his people. Hoshido had a bountiful supply of food and Valla could help at least a little. However, Giovanni never got the chance to ask for any assistance.

Giovanni and Haruto ended up getting into a large argument at the meeting. Aika tried to moderate, but to no avail. After the fight seemed to be over, both men were still incredibly bitter. Giovanni asked for Haruto's help in feeding Nohr, but due to the high tensions, Haruto reacted negatively. He snapped about how maybe the Nohrians should all roll over and die if they were truly as bad as Giovanni was.

In his anger, Giovanni declared war on Haruto and stormed out of the meeting. Aika attempted to get the two men to reconcile before they left Valla, as that was the location of the meeting due to it being between both kingdoms. However, nothing worked and war broke out between the two primary powers on Pheuyura.

Garon and Sumeragi were born after the war began. As children, both aspired to grow up and end the war, hating all the bloodshed, but as time passed, both fell into the thought process that the other nation was bad. So when they grew up, they didn't end the war and instead allowed the fighting to continue. Great job, guys. After the war began, a small Nohrian force invaded Valla with intentions of gaining many new soldiers by taking over the country. However, Giovanni failed, resulting in Anankos being killed by the Nohrians. Because of Anankos' immense power, he was reincarnated as a man named Thalone. The excess magic from Anankos' death kept all the Vallite soldiers who died in the small invasion alive in a state of suffering, wanting revenge on those who had killed them. Even so, Valla remained neutral in this invasion, not wanting to sacrifice more lives in the war. All future Vallite soldiers who died in battle were also in this state.

Garon and Sumeragi both fell in love upon being crowned as kings. Giovanni and Haruto died of old age, leaving their sons to continue the war that they had started. Garon married a noble named Katarina, with whom he had Xander, the crown prince of Nohr. Sumeragi ended up with Ikona. They had four children together, those being Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura.

However, happiness was not meant to last on either side. As tensions continued to run high, Katarina fell ill and passed away, leaving Garon alone to take care of Xander. Ikona ended up being murdered by a Nohrian assassin a week after Sakura was born, leaving the Hoshidan family in mourning. Sumeragi swore revenge on the Nohrians for taking his wife away from him.

Garon slowly slipped into a state of depression over Katarina's sudden death. He had cared immensely for her and didn't know what to do now that she was gone. In his fragile state, he grew incredibly angry with another kingdom, none other than Valla.

Valla was now being ruled by Arete and her husband Rivalis. Nohr wanted to quickly crush Hoshido before anything could get worse. Garon asked for Rivalis' help in eliminating Hoshido, but Rivalis didn't want to start any large fights. Angered by Rivalis' choice, Garon had the large army of Nohr invade Valla, which was much smaller, killing many Vallite soldiers in the process. By the time the invasion was over, everyone presumed the royals had died, though none of the royal items infused with Anankos' power were found by Nohrians. Rivalis was killed in the process. Arete fled with her daughter, Azura. Mikoto, who had ended up with a child after falling in love with Thalone, also ran with her child, Corrin. Safaia was lost along with Rivalis' body. The Yato disappeared. Arete took the pendant of the dragonstone and kept the song in mind to teach to her daughter. Azura snuck the dragonstone out.

Thalone was left in Valla after all this took place. Since he had sacrificed himself to Vallite soldiers to allow Mikoto and Corrin to escape, he was alone there. For some reason, one he later learned was due to his status as Anankos reborn, the soldiers never tried to hurt him. He slowly slipped into a state of madness after learning of the truth behind his origin, angry and wanting revenge on those who had caused him and his people so much harm. He ended up later manipulating the minds of others like Arete, Mikoto, Sumeragi, and Rivalis to reach his goals. His original intention was to be able to see his child again after they went missing when fleeing Valla. He ended up summoning Severa, Inigo, and Owain (who became Selena, Laslow, and Odin) to help him find his child. He also created Lilith, an Astral Dragon forged from his draconic blood, to help him out. However, he soon lost track of himself after getting their help and just wanted revenge on those responsible for killing so many Vallite people. This is how he is at the time of Fates.

The power of Thalone is to be explained here. He can easily possess people. If people are alive, he needs to be seen by them in order for him to be able to activate the possession. As for the deceased people, Thalone has one of two options. He can either make a pact with them in their last moments (often approaching them in a dream) to let them live on if he helps them. His other choice is to wait for them to die and then reanimate them as his puppets. If he dies, his power dissipates over whoever he has controlled after a short period of time, leaving those he was possessing that lived unconscious and those who were dead and reanimated dead once again. However, because he has much power when you consider the magic he has between himself and his many puppets, sometimes, odd things will happen. If many of his puppets are killed (a second time to cross over to the afterlife) alongside him, he will release a large amount of power that might have odd impacts on the world around him, such as reversing time or altering timelines. This is shown in Heirs of Fate later on in the rewrite.

However, Arete's troubles were not over yet. Garon's men captured her and took her to Nohr. Garon, still grieving over Katarina's death, fell in love with her, thinking she was his love reborn. Arete despised the man for being responsible for killing her husband but didn't have a choice if she wanted to keep Azura from being harmed.

Meanwhile, Mikoto arrived in Hoshido. After the death of Ikona, Sumeragi was looking for something to place his hope in once again. That was when he found Mikoto standing near a pond in the castle town of Shirasagi. Sumeragi instantly fell in love with her and decided to help her get back onto her feet, which resulted in their getting married. Sumeragi treated Mikoto and Corrin as family, once again resulting in happiness among the Hoshidan royals. Hinoka took a while to get used to Mikoto, as she had been incredibly close to Ikona before her assassination and didn't want her mother replaced, but once she began liking Mikoto, she never looked back.

Nohr was in a state of turbulence. Garon was having children with many a concubine since Arete kept on refusing him. The children born were forced to fight for a claim on the throne by their mothers, often servants of the crown. Upwards of twenty children were born, but only four children survived. No mothers lived after the horrible year of murder and grief. The survivors included Xander, Camilla, Leo, and Azura (who had been sheltered away to keep from being harmed).

Arete was facing all sorts of backlash as the new queen of Nohr. The people hated that she was a replacement for Katarina. In the end, the stress of the concubine wars, being forced with Garon, and the criticism of the Nohrian people got to her. Arete ended up committing suicide while a final concubine (one who hadn't been involved with Garon when the concubine wars were going on) was pregnant with Elise. This concubine died of illness when Elise was roughly four. Azura was left alone and sheltered, with only the pendant her mother had given her and a lullaby sung to her countless times, which she later learned was the Vallite family's birthright song.

Garon grew angry over the war due to Arete's death. With no other place to release his anger, he turned to Hoshido. He told Sumeragi that he was tired of the fighting and wanted a peace treaty. Sumeragi fell for it and decided to meet Garon in Nestra. He decided to bring along Corrin and Hinoka, both of whom wanted to spend some extra time with their father.

Once they arrived in Nestra, Hinoka began to shop for gifts for her brothers and sister back home. She walked into a nearby store selling bows, intending to get one for Takumi. Since she had been taught some of the bow herself due to being the heir of Warrior Princess, she was able to figure out what she needed alone. Corrin stuck with Sumeragi, claiming they had a bad feeling.

Corrin was right about something being wrong. Sumeragi met with Garon in a hauntingly empty street outside the store Hinoka was in. They spoke briefly before Sumeragi felt a pain in his back. He had been stabbed by Iago, a retainer to Garon, with the knife of his noble house. Spectre had impaled his armor in his back, leaving him badly bleeding once the blade was removed. Hinoka heard her father scream from inside the store and peeked out the window to see Corrin crying and shaking on the ground as Garon stuck his axe, which he had named Bölverk (since the axe of Nohr had already been passed down to Camilla), into Sumeragi's body, killing him. Hinoka panicked as Corrin passed out from shock. Garon picked up the unconscious child, planning to use them as a bargaining chip in the war with Hoshido. Iago kicked Sumeragi's body as he left, but Hinoka wasn't going to let him get away.

Hinoka nocked a bow inside of the store, and despite her shakiness, managed to fire it through the open window. It hit Iago in the arm, badly scarring him. Iago roared in anger and ripped the arrow from his arm, intending to follow after whoever had shot at him. However, Hinoka had used the distraction to grab Raijinto off Sumeragi's body and run away. Iago saw only her red hair before being called off by Garon, but he swore revenge on the pesky child who had scarred him. Hinoka, on the other hand, told herself that she was going to search for the man with the arrow scar and the knife Spectre for the rest of her life until she found him and got her revenge on him for taking away her younger sibling and her father.

Garon took Corrin back to Nohr and put them into the Northern Fortress under strict protection to keep the Hoshidans from taking her back. However, Hoshido wasn't just going to sit by while Corrin was raised with another family away from the royals they had lived with for so long. Yukimura, retainer to the now widowed Queen Mikoto, had a rogue from Kohga, a kingdom that had died out due to an invasion from neighboring Mokushu, infiltrate Nohr and take one of its children. The rogue, Shura in name, invaded Nohr and took Azura. Azura was slipping into an unstable state due to the death of her mother as well as Garon being uncaring, so she lived alone in her room. After being dropped off in Hoshido, Azura found a purpose in life again, happy to be somewhere that had people who cared for her. She never wanted to leave Hoshido due to how much better it was than Nohr.

This brings us about up to the time of Fates beginning. However, before we get started, I'm going to explain all the other small countries in the kingdom and any other information necessary to the plot of the rewrite.

First, we have Izumo. Izumo is a country that came from Hoshido after the Dawn Dragon founded Hoshido. It is ruled over by Izana. Izumo often remains neutral in conflict, but if it needs to pick a side, it will side with Hoshido. Izumo is a smaller country known for its natural beauty. Not many people live there, but those that do are relaxed and worry very little. There are only rare cases of poverty and starvation in Izumo due to the general peace.

Next, there's Kohga. Kohga is the smallest nation on the continent, or at least, it was. Kohga borders both Hoshido and Mokushu. Kohga was once ruled by a noble house. The two nobles who ruled the kingdom, the duke and duchess, were killed when Kohga was invaded by Mokushu. Mokushu wanted more land to stand up to Nohrian rule, or so they claimed. Kotaro, the daimyo of Mokushu, took over Kohga. He was greedy and wanted more land, killing many Kohgan people in the process. Those that survived were often killed by Mokushujin in the streets. Shura, a bandit from Kohga, ended up traveling alone to keep Kotaro and his trouble away.

Speaking of Mokushu, that country is next. It is ruled by the daimyo, Kotaro. Kotaro is a skilled ninja who gained immense respect from his people after rising up as a leader when the previous daimyo was killed in a battle against Nohrian forces. Kotaro was not above underhanded tricks, however. A Hoshidan ninja, the father of Saizo and Kaze, suspected that Kotaro was going to do something to Kohga after catching wind of a few rumors. Upon being sent to Mokushu to investigate, he was murdered by Kotaro to keep the invasion into Kohgan territory a secret. However, that was not the only twist of fate from that day. A few other ninja had come with Saizo and Kaze's father as reinforcements. They ended up taking the daimyo's daughter, Kagero, with them upon leaving. Rumors of his foul treatment towards Kagero, who wasn't even yet four, had spread quickly, so the ninja ended up taking her as revenge for Kotaro killing a respected retainer to King Sumeragi. Kotaro never made an effort to take her back, much more focused on the invasion of Kohga instead. Kagero's mother is never mentioned to anyone, but many suspect Kotaro killed her at some point or another. Due to the traitorous nature of Mokushu, it is unknown what side they would take in any large fight.

Next is Aulane. This is the small country where the Flame Tribe lives. The Flame Tribe leads the country, with the chief of the tribe leading Aulane as a whole. Aulane often stays away from international affairs, knowing that the tribe is self-sustaining, which also applies to the nation as a whole. However, if forced to choose, Aulane would side with Hoshido due to close ties between the chief and royal family. The next chief is set to be Rinkah.

I won't be giving Hoshido, Nohr, and Valla their own paragraphs here since there's already a lot about them in the rest of the story. To clear things up though, I'll tell you where the other two tribes originate. The Wind Tribe is located in Hoshido and the Ice Tribe in Nohr. The Kitsune are in Hoshido while the Wolfskin are in Nohr.

The Wind Tribe is led by Fuga. He has close ties with the Hoshidan royals, even fighting alongside King Sumeragi. The heir following Fuga is going to be Hayato. He often stays out of fights for the good of his people, but due to being inside Hoshido, he'd side with the Hoshidans in an instant.

The Kitsune are found in a secluded hamlet away from many Hoshidans. Not many know of their existence due to the fact that not many of the fox-shifters leave the hamlet. Those that do often find trouble from hunters, so they stay hidden. They'd be able to stay out of fights due to the lack of knowledge surrounding their existence.

The Ice Tribe is led by Kilma, the father of Flora and Felicia. Nohr has forcefully stripped away any freedoms the Ice Tribe may have had in recent years, causing rebellion to rise up. To silence them, Garon has Flora and Felicia taken from the tribe to be political prisoners, but this only furthers their anger. They rebel in Fates out of anger that they've seen such misfortune.

Finally, we have the Wolfskin. They live on Mount Garou, a steep peak found in Nohr. Not many know of the Wolfskin either, as Mount Garou is very difficult to traverse. They are also at risk from the same hunters Kitsune struggle with. The Wolfskin would also be able to avoid conflict since their society is shrouded in secrecy.

South of the Ice Tribe is Cheve, which was once its own country before being swallowed by Nohr in its path of conquest. Cheve was conquered by Hans, who wanted to get the favor of Garon. He became one of the king's right-hand men afterwards. Before the invasion, itwas ruled by a noble house. Scarlet's grandfather worked as a knight for the noble leader of Cheve, but his liege died in the invasion from Nohr. Cheve was also angered by this invasion, leading to a rebellion that was spearheaded by Scarlet. Nohrians would cruelly kill Chevois people in the streets (think the way Begnion treated Daein in part one of Radiant Dawn), including Scarlet's parents. After their deaths, she lashed out and started the rebellion. Cheve would side with Hoshido.

Next is Nestra, the kingdom of art. Nestra is well known for its performers and artists. Nestra is a peaceful place away from much conflict. The duke of Nestra stays out of affairs with Hoshido and Nohr, knowing of the fighting that would occur if Nestra got involved in the fighting. Merchants thrive in Nestra as well. Cyrkensia, the resort city of Nestra, is a city that never sleeps, always illuminated and bright. Nestrans stay out of Nohrian and Hoshidan conflict at all times to maintain the peace Nestra treasures so dearly.

Finally, we have Notre Sagesse. Notre Sagesse is built around a mountain that borders the sea and Valla. The Rainbow Sage, an elderly man who has lived forever due to a gift from Anankos, resides there. Notre Sagesse has an incredibly tall building at the peak of the mountain where the Sage lives. Notre Sagesse is far from both Nohr and Hoshido, so it's rare to see the country involved in any fighting. In fact, it has never happened due to the peaceful nature of the Sage keeping all the people from coming to harm in war. Even after the fall of Valla, the country remained one of the safest places on Pheuyura.

Well, now that all the background information is out of the way, it's time to get onto the story of Fates! We'll start off with how things are before the Branch of Fate, and from there, I'll split off and tell each story separately. A lot of things have changed, but hopefully it's for the better at the end of the day.

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 _ **And there's the first part of my eight chapter saga to rewrite the story of Fire Emblem Fates! You can find the other seven parts (Prologue, Birthright, Conquest, Revelation, Hidden Truths, Heirs of Fate, and Character Updates) also on this story.**_

 _ **I hope that you enjoy this. I've put a lot of thought into it over the past week. Even if your interpretation of Fates is different, I pray that there's at least something you can take away from this.**_

 _ **Anyways, I'm going to be off to post the other chapters. Farewell!**_

 _ **-Digital**_


	2. Prologue

**STEP TWO: PROLOGUE**

Our story begins in the Northern Fortress in Nohr. Corrin had been living there for eight years after the kidnapping. However, Corrin thought that instead the Nohrians had found them after they lost their memory and was eternally grateful, now living as a sibling to the Nohrian royals. It was lonely, but Corrin did have their retainers there to ease the pain. There was Jakob the butler, Flora and Felicia the maids, and Gunter the combat instructor. Lilith was a newer recruit who hadn't been around for very long but was already close friends with Corrin. A Nohrian soldier, one of Corrin's childhood friends named Silas, also dropped in from time to time.

Corrin wakes up to a combat lesson from Xander, the oldest prince of Nohr. Corrin and Xander duel for a little while before the latter is defeated. This acts as our prologue and introduction chapter. Xander then surprises Corrin, saying that their time in the Northern Fortress is over, as their father, King Garon, wants to see them at the palace to be released from the protective fortress to help fight in the Nohrian army against Hoshido. Excited, Corrin sets off to the palace in Windmire with Gunter and either Jakob or Felicia depending on the gender of Corrin. Lilith also tags along, if only to tend to the steeds they'll be riding to the capital.

Upon arriving, Corrin meets with Garon and briefly speaks with him about their knowledge regarding the war with Hoshido. Satisfied, Garon has a few guards bring in a pair of prisoners, these being Kaze and Rinkah. A few other Hoshidan soldiers accompany them. This chapter is mostly the same as the one in the game. After Kaze and Rinkah are down and defeated, Garon trusts that Corrin will kill them before leaving the room to attend a war meeting with Iago and Hans. Iago briefly appears before the meeting, greeting Corrin. Corrin briefly notes a scar on his arm but finds it rude to ask about it. Instead, Corrin waits for Iago and Garon to leave before hurriedly helping Kaze and Rinkah escape with Leo and Elise. Elise and Corrin both dislike the violent act of killing, so they persuade Leo to help them out. After the two are gone, Xander and Camilla appear and talk about the war for a little longer with Corrin. Corrin asks about the scar on Iago's arm, but none of them know much about it. What they do know is that it randomly appeared when Corrin was found, but no details are shared.

Not long after, Garon returns. He provides an official blade to Corrin, the Ganglari. Garon tells Corrin that he's been speaking with Hans and Iago about needing a fort evaluated on the border of Nohr and Hoshido. He sends Gunter, Hans, Corrin, and Jakob/Felicia to investigate if it's still in working order. Upon arrival, they find Saizo guarding the fort with a small troop of soldiers. Corrin tries to settle the matter peacefully, but Hans ends up attacking a soldier, killing him. This chapter is also mostly the same, but instead of killing the one guarding the fort (in this case Saizo), Corrin gives him the chance to retreat. Kagero appears not long after with Ryoma close behind to reinforce Saizo. In a panic, Hans attacks Gunter, knocking him unconscious. Everyone at the scene believes Gunter has died at the hands of Hans.

Next, Hans lashes out at Corrin and nearly kills them. However, Lilith appears behind Corrin and transports them to the Astral Plane, transforming into her dragon form permanently in the process. As an Astral Dragon, Lilith can freely move between the two planes of existence. Corrin wonders about this briefly but doesn't have much time for questions. Lilith tells her that it's time to return to the world of Nohr, as Corrin's siblings are undoubtedly worried about them. Corrin agrees and returns to the other side, though Lilith is unable to come due to her transformation. In this version, Lilith can transform back and forth between her draconic form and human form. As a human, she can use knives. But at this point in time, Lilith is unaware of how to turn back due to this being her first time. Her abilities were explained to her by Thalone, but how to turn back never came up. She does learn how to before Corrin returns to the Astral Plane though.

However, upon arriving back near the fort, Corrin ends up being captured by Saizo, who is back in control of the fort now that the Nohrians have retreated. Saizo is prepared to kill Corrin when Kaze appears alongside Rinkah, explaining to Saizo that this is the one who saved them from execution in Nohr. Saizo releases Corrin upon hearing them mutter their own name under their breath. Saizo has Kagero, who had been standing nearby the whole time, call in Ryoma. He had been in the area from the earlier Nohrian attack.

When he arrives, Ryoma recognizes Corrin and smiles, saying she needs to go to the capital of Shirasagi. Corrin is confused as to why the high prince isn't preparing their execution but follows along anyways despite their questions. Ryoma ends up finding Hinoka, who was running from a large faction of Faceless. They had appeared after Corrin and the Nohrians had arrived at the fort and had slipped by the defenses of the Hoshidan during the attempted invasion. Ryoma explains that the Faceless are conjured by Nohrian mages to attack Hoshidans on the border since the actual Nohrian soldiers are too focused on the war effort. Corrin ends up helping Rinkah, Kaze, Saizo, Kagero, and Ryoma break through to a surrounding Hinoka. This is our chapter four.

After fighting off the Faceless, Hinoka explains the situation behind Corrin's origin in Hoshido. Corrin tries to refute it, but Ryoma and Hinoka tell her to return with them to Shirasagi to speak with the queen and the remaining three royal children. Corrin goes along to learn what they're talking about.

Mikoto explains the truth to Corrin behind the kidnapping, but Corrin can't find the ability to care for her due to their memories being sealed away after the kidnapping. Corrin spends the next few days alone, befriending Azura in the process, as rumors circulate in Hoshido about a Nohrian spy being inside the palace. Much of this is the same as the game.

Mikoto plans to announce Corrin's return like in the game in the Shirasagi square. However, a robed figure appears from the shadows like in the game. Ganglari goes to their hands before exploding, killing many people in the area. However, instead of dying, Mikoto is just severely wounded and is escorted back to the palace by Yukimura. Corrin loses themselves to the anger and turns into a dragon for the first time and goes on a rampage, killing the invisible Vallite soldiers that have appeared while Ryoma duels with the mysterious hooded figure. This is chapter five, just like how it is in the game.

Not long after, Azura calms Corrin, who regains their memory of the kidnapping incident after turning back to normal. They see Sumeragi being stabbed by Iago and then killed by Garon. An arrow appears in their vision, shooting into Iago's arm just before Corrin passes out. Upon seeing this, Corrin realizes the truth to the claims of the Hoshidans but wants to know more about the Nohrians and their involvement in the incident. Saizo appears, stating that a large Nohrian force has gathered at the nearby border where he was patrolling. The royals all run off to defend their country from the invaders, but before leaving, Azura hastily gives Corrin the dragonstone passed down among the Vallite royals, knowing it would be better in their hands than in hers since she has much less draconic power than Corrin.

Note: Corrin does not receive the Yato here. That happens later.

Both the Nohrians and Hoshidans gather at the border. Now, the tensions of war are higher than ever before with the assassination attempt on Queen Mikoto. The Nohrian royals are at the border as well as the Hoshidan ones, so Corrin is forced to decide which end of the conflict to support. Corrin deliberates for quite some time before reaching a difficult choice...

\- Defend Hoshido

\- Fight with Nohr

\- Refuse to choose a side

\- Smash (kidding)


	3. Birthright

**_EDIT: Added a few minor things to this chapter, though it's nothing that will change the plot. When I originally typed it, I was going rather quickly since my original draft self-destructed and got deleted. However, now that I've had a bit more time, I was able to touch up on a few things like internal conflict and such. Enjoy the new version!_**

* * *

 **STEP THREE: BIRTHRIGHT**

At the branch of fate, Corrin chooses to side with Hoshido. They simply cannot go back to Nohr with King Garon after witnessing the atrocities he has committed against Hoshido. After making their choice, Corrin is pushed into the fighting against Nohr. In a defend mission, the Hoshidan army tries to hold back Nohr to keep them from breaking through to Hoshido. This is chapter six. Both sides retreat after the fight comes to an end. Jakob/Felicia appears and goes with Corrin to help the soldiers retreat from the battle. Corrin regrets leaving the Nohrian siblings, and they express their dissatisfaction before retreating. Corrin feels bad, but they don't have a moment to linger on it if Hoshido is to remain secure.

The royals all split up and go separate ways. Sakura goes to a fort to heal the injured soldiers from the previous battle. Hinoka heads to the Wind Tribe to gain alliance from Fuga. Takumi fights off Hans and a faction of his soldiers on the border. Azura returns to the palace to help care for the injured Mikoto. Ryoma goes to Cheve. Yukimura had received a letter from the leader of the Chevois rebels who were requesting Hoshidan help to free the country from Nohrian occupation, so Ryoma goes there.

Corrin ends up following Sakura to help out in healing the soldiers that have been hurt. Hana and Subaki are running themselves ragged to help Sakura in healing. Once Corrin, Felicia/Jakob, Kaze, and Rinkah arrive at the fort, they end up surrounded. Silas had been sent by Garon to capture Corrin after hearing of their betrayal. In another defend mission, the army holds of the Nohrians until Silas arrives at the entrance to the fort, where he recognizes Corrin and speaks with them. Silas decides to defect to the Hoshidan army, agreeing that Nohr has harmed people and wanting to help.

On the way, the army passes through a village overrun by Faceless. Instead of giving Mozu a paralogue, she joins in this chapter. Upon being rescued as the only survivor, she joins the army to repay Corrin and their group for saving her life.

Next, the army, now assisted by Sakura, Hana, and Subaki, heads to the Wind Tribe to see how things are going with Hinoka. They find her, Azama, Setsuna, Fuga, and Hayato defending the Wind Tribe village from a faction of Faceless. The army rushes to their aid and helps them out. They gain the alliance of the Wind Tribe as well as the assistance of Hayato, Hinoka, and her retainers. Fuga stays behind to protect the village for the time being.

The next destination is Izumo. The army needs the assistance of Izana to press on through Izumite land without any conflict. The army arrives at Izana's palace, but they find it abandoned. After a short period of investigation, the group is trapped by a large number of Nohrians, who had already captured Izumo and were holding Izana hostage. Oboro and Hinata appear and help the army break through the Nohrian line. The army fights their way out and frees Izana, who grants them the alliance they need. Afterwards, Izana warns them that he senses danger for Takumi. Oboro and Hinata confirm this, as they had been fighting with him before he had gone missing mysteriously. Corrin's army makes it a priority to find Takumi and keep him from coming to further harm.

While traveling, the group runs into a pack of bandits trying to capture a redheaded girl named Anna. The group manages to rescue her. Anna gives them her thanks before learning that they are royalty. Being as greedy as she is, Anna joins them hoping that she'll get something out of it. Why? Because this is Anna we're talking about.

On the way to find Takumi, the group encounters Kotaro, the daimyo of Mokushu. He claims that he's allied with Hoshido in the war and offers to help the group through the land. However, Kotaro recognizes Kaze among the army and lashes out at them. Kaze hears Kotaro's name and recognizes it from somewhere, but he never gets his answers. Kotaro manages to escape from the army when a distraction appears.

Takumi has appeared with a faction of invisible soldiers. The group fights off the soldiers but aren't able to snap Takumi out of his daze until Azura appears and sings for him having come from the Hoshidan palace. Takumi finally is freed from his possession, even if it's only temporary.

When Takumi disappeared, he had fallen down a cliff when fighting with Hans. He had fallen into Valla (NOT IN A CHASM), where he met Thalone. Thalone took care of him for a brief time before he learned Takumi was Hoshidan royalty. He lashed out and knocked Takumi unconscious before controlling him. This makes Takumi a puppet for Thalone to use. So long as Thalone can see Takumi, he can have him turn into his darker version where the power of Anankos and his will for revenge push him forwards.

Next, the group passes through Nestra, hoping to catch a boat there to reach Cheve and help out Ryoma. Hinoka is on edge for some reason, though nobody can ask her why without her refusing to answer. They spot Garon walking into the opera house with the duke of Nestra. Corrin feels a small pang of guilt, not because of Garon, but because they wish their Nohrian siblings would be willing to work with them. The army follows after him, but while there, Azura ends up being mistaken for a performer meant to sing for Garon and is shoved on stage. After she sings Lost in Thoughts, Garon groans in discomfort since he loves doing that. Garon grows angry and asks the Nohrians to find her and kill her. Corrin's army fights through and manages to break free of the Nohrians. They are joined by Saizo, Kagero, Orochi, and Reina, who have finally caught up with the group. Kaden ends up being sucked into the fighting to keep Nohrian hunters from getting to him. Meanwhile, Garon asks the duke of Nestra for an alliance in the war. The duke refuses, so Garon kills him and tells the Nohrian soldiers under his command to burn Nestra and destroy it in revenge. Great guy.

The group hitches a ride to Cheve on a boat, but on the way, they end up passing Notre Sagesse. The Rainbow Sage's home on top of the mountain kingdom is being invaded by a faction of invisible soldiers. Insisting on helping, Corrin has the boat dock. They travel up to the top of the mountain and save the Rainbow Sage from the invaders. Upon saving him, the Rainbow Sage asks to see Azura and Corrin alone.

The Rainbow Sage gives Corrin the Yato and Azura receives Safaia. The Sage says that he found them when he visited a fallen kingdom. However, he doesn't have much time to explain. The Sage tells Corrin and Azura that Ryoma is facing danger and that they must get going if they want to save him. They quickly return to their boat and continue sailing towards Cheve.

When the group finally arrives in Cheve, they find Nohrians surrounding a building where a group of rebels is hiding. Leading the fighters is Camilla, who was told to bring Corrin back to Nohr. With the help of Scarlet, who had broken free from the safe house, they manage to drive Camilla, Selena, and Beruka away, all of whom retreat back to the Nohrian palace. Corrin pleads with Camilla to join them on the other side to stop Garon since he is no longer himself, but Camilla pushes them away, still pained by their betrayal and not wanting to talk to them anymore.

Scarlet brings out her masked general, who reveals himself to be Ryoma. The royals all share an excited reunion. However, they don't have much time to celebrate the victory. The Nohrian general overlooking Cheve is angered by their defeating Camilla and wants to crush the royals once and for all. The group fights the general and kills him, sending all the soldiers under him scattering. With Cheve now free, Scarlet joins the army alongside Ryoma to help drive back Nohr and kill Garon. Also, Scarlet can marry Ryoma in this. Her not being able to do that was stupid.

On their way to the capital, the group passes through Mount Garou. The army needs to reach Nohr as soon as possible to save Hoshido from potential invasion. Corrin tries to negotiate a peaceful solution to get through without fighting, but Iago teleports in briefly and shoots a beam of fire at Sakura. Takumi rescues her from the attack, but it hits a Wolfskin. Keaton, leader of the tribe, angrily attacks the group, thinking one of their own was responsible for the murder. Corrin's army manages to escape and heads for a nearby abandoned castle to be used as a safe house for the time being since the troops need a break from the escape. Also, no Kaze death scene here. That was also stupid.

Once the group gets there, they find Flora and Felicia/Jakob (whoever did not go with Corrin at the start of Fates) inside the castle. The Nohrians had cast them away in anger, thinking they were working with Corrin, who had been branded a traitor. Flora offers to help them escape once they had recovered, but before they get the chance, Iago appears. One of his soldiers shoots an arrow at Hinoka, badly wounding her. The army fights back to protect Hinoka and Sakura, the latter of whom is healing Hinoka. After the fight, Iago teleports away, dropping a knife in the process.

Hinoka, now recovered from the shot, picks up the knife and begins to shake. Her siblings manage to calm her down. Once relaxed, she explains that the owner of the knife Spectre, now known to be Iago, was the one who killed Ikona. She recounts the murder of her birth mother and how she only saw the knife of the culprit and that this was the one. She also tells of the kidnapping incident where Iago dealt the first blow against Sumeragi and took Corrin, so Hinoka fired an arrow into his arm, scarring him. Now that she knew the identity of the man who had done so much to her family, Hinoka vowed to take revenge on Iago and kill him herself.

On their way to Nohr, the group stops at the Ice Tribe village, where Nohrian soldiers are waiting to fight them. Flora reveals that she must kill Corrin under the orders of Garon. Hesitantly, the army defeats her. Flora explains how Garon threatened to destroy the Ice Tribe if she didn't kill Corrin and says that she'll face death for failure. Not wanting to let Garon kill her, she stabs herself in the stomach with her dagger. With persuasion from Sakura, Felicia, and Corrin, Flora decides to become a rogue and defect to the Hoshidan army. Sakura heals her wound while saying how her people need her and that Flora can't just leave them to suffer without helping them. Flora agrees and promises to save her villagers after the war has ended.

Now on the homestretch to Windmire, the group encounters Leo. He fights them with a hoard of Faceless gifted to him by Iago. After the Faceless are defeated, Corrin asks Leo if he truly wants to fight. They had been wanting to get the Nohrian siblings with them for quite some time and saw this as a perfect opportunity to get Leo with them. After a bit of arguing over it, Leo cracks and reveals that he's sick of the fighting. Xander has grown distant, Camilla has slipped into depression, and Elise is considering running away from home to be with Corrin. Leo admits that he wants to join the army, but he needs to speak with Camilla about it first, so he leaves, telling Corrin that this will not be the last time they meet. Leo has found Garon's atrocities to be unforgivable and wants to put an end to them if he can.

Next, the group combats Camilla for a second time near Windmire. Camilla is defeated once again, but she admits that she has seen change in her father now that Corrin has mentioned it and wants to join the army to help him come to his senses. Camilla is tempted to join Corrin after this fight. Unfortunately, Camilla cannot do so since Elise has gone missing and she needs to find her. In truth, Elise has run away from Nohr to join Corrin in stopping the fighting once and for all, also having noticed a change in her siblings and father.

Exhausted from fighting both Leo and Camilla back to back, the group retreats to the Astral Plane. The peace is short-lived, as Hans has received power from Thalone to enter the Astral Plane. The army defends themselves from Hans and defeat him, which is when he dies, but he takes Lilith down with him. Lilith trusts that Corrin will win the war before dying in their arms. Angered and needing to avenge Lilith, Corrin goes on forwards, ready to defeat Garon once and for all.

With Lilith's sacrifice in the forefront of their mind, the group next fights Kotaro, who reveals himself to have escaped from the fighting in Mokushu. Saizo instantly recognizes him and vows that he will get revenge from his father's killing. Shura is already fighting them alone, needing his own revenge for the death of his kingdom of Kohga. He joins the group. A trio of masked fighters nearby also help out. The army is victorious and both Saizo and Kaze reach a satisfying conclusion with their father's murderer now dead himself. Elise appears after the fighting, asking to join Corrin. Seeing no safer option, Corrin allows her to tag along, though they internally promise to return her to Camilla as soon as possible since she was worried for Elise. Deep down, Corrin is excited that Elise has joined them and thinks that maybe their wish for peace will come to pass now that Elise has joined their side. Corrin thinks that Elise's switching of sides will persuade the other three Nohrian siblings to change sides.

The masked fighters reveal themselves to be Izana, Fuga, and Yukimura. Yukimura brings news that Mikoto was killed in her sleep by a mage with a scar on his arm. The group recognizes that it's none other than Iago, fueling their anger against him. The trio all join the fighting to win the war.

While the group is fighting Kotaro, Garon calls in Thalone. Garon is sensing that Camilla and Leo are slipping from his grasp, so he asks for Thalone to help him. Thalone reveals that he has been controlling Garon for quite some time, as Garon died much earlier on in the war in his sleep. Thalone offered Garon a second chance at life with his excess power just so long as they crushed Hoshido together. In truth, Thalone was going to watch Hoshido fall before killing Garon himself to get revenge on Nohr as well, though he doesn't mention this around Garon.

Garon calls in the three older Nohrian royals before having Thalone control them. He decides to use them to crush Corrin, knowing that they'll be unable to fight off three royals. Thalone tells him that it won't be just three, as he as a trump card hiding up his sleeve…

Next, the group combats Iago just outside the palace. He has a large number of Faceless with him, ready to kill Corrin. Iago recognizes Hinoka as the one who had scarred him all those years ago and prepares to fight the army to kill her. The group fights Iago in the minutes that follow. Hinoka gets her revenge on Iago, killing him after he's done so much to the Hosidan royals. Nobody cares that he died because he's awful.

Once the group enters the palace of Krakenburg, they are met by none other than Garon. Thalone is by his side. The possessed Nohrian royals are present as well. Thalone snaps his fingers, which makes Takumi begin to scream as he holds his head. Takumi ignites with the purple flames surrounding the Nohrian royals. Azura plans to sing to free them from the possession, but Garon badly injures her in the process, leaving her unable to fight. She passes out not long after from blood loss. The army battles with the four possessed royals, snapping Camilla, Leo, and Takumi out of it in the process. Thalone is killed in the battle. Now that Camilla and Leo have snapped out of their daze and know that Elise is safe, Corrin suspects that they will join their army, but they don't get the chance to ask.

Xander appears to be back to normal after the fight, but he suddenly goes back to being possessed and badly wounds Corrin. Before he can deliver the finishing blow, Elise jumps in the way. In her last moments, she tells her siblings how she loves him and asks for them to stop fighting. Xander, back to normal, follows Elise's wishes and lays down his sword to surrender to Hoshido. He begins to cry silently over how he killed his youngest sister. Camilla and Leo are both surprised by Elise's sudden death, but they still plan to surrender as well to end the war.

However, Garon isn't allowing this. He lashes out and throws his axe at Xander, killing him instantly, claiming Xander was a traitor. He collects his axe once again and tries to kill Camilla and Leo, but Corrin and Ryoma use the Yato and Raijinto respectively to keep the two safe. Angered with their father's behavior and killing of Xander, Camilla and Leo join Corrin to kill Garon. They realize that he's too far gone and that he must be eliminated for killing Xander. Camilla and Leo are units exclusive to the endgame, so you can recruit them, but just for the one chapter. In the end, Garon is defeated.

Garon's life is not the only one lost, however. Azura succumbs to her injuries and passes away, saying farewell to her siblings as she lay dying. She says how she loves them also before closing her eyes once and for all. The Hoshidans mourn for her loss and promise to establish a world of peace in her honor.

Leo is crowned king of Nohr after Camilla denies the chance to rule. Ryoma becomes king of Hoshido due to the death of Mikoto at Iago's hands. Both men agree to establish peace. Leo asks Ryoma for help in feeding his people as his ancestor had, but this time, an official agreement is passed. Both kingdoms enjoy an era of happiness and peace not seen in generations.

You have followed through to the end of the path of birthrights and love. However, you can't help but wonder what would have happened if your choice had been different…


	4. Conquest

**STEP FOUR: CONQUEST**

At the Branch of Fate, Corrin decides to side with Nohr. Even after witnessing all that Nohr has done to Hoshido, Corrin wants to find the answers on their own. There had to be an explanation as for why Nohr would do such terrible things to Hoshido, and Corrin knows they will only get their answers if they go back to Nohr to speak with Garon about it personally.

The Nohrian royals celebrate their victory of receiving Corrin's help and try to fight the Hoshidans, attempting to break their morale right off the bat. However, the Hoshidans retreat, knowing that they have less soldiers than Nohr. The Nohrians hesitantly back off as well and return to Castle Krakenburg to regroup and speak with Garon. Before they leave, Corrin crosses paths with Azura, who says that they'll undoubtedly meet again before retreating back to Hoshido. Along the way, Corrin runs into Jakob/Felicia, who joins the party.

Once the Nohrians arrive back at Krakenburg, Garon regards Corrin with mistrust, saying that they might be a Hoshidan assassin sent to kill him. Iago suggests that Corrin be tested to assure that they are loyal. Garon tells Corrin to go to the Ice Tribe to quell a rebellion rising up. Corrin tries to ask Garon about the attack on Hoshido but doesn't get the chance before Iago pushes them out the door.

Before Corrin can arrive at the village, they are swarmed by Faceless. Iago, suspecting Corrin was a traitor, had summoned them to kill Corrin and eliminate who he saw as a threat to Nohr. Corrin begins to grow weaker as the number grows larger, but luckily, they aren't alone. Elise appears, followed by Silas, Effie, and Arthur, all of whom were sent to guard her. With the new help, the group manages to hold off the Faceless until they are all defeated. Satisfied with the victory, Corrin moves forwards and towards the Ice Tribe.

The group arrives later on in the day. The Ice Tribe greets Corrin and Elise with open arms, recognizing that Elise is known for her peaceful views across Nohr. Corrin greets Flora, who had returned to her tribe after Corrin was taken in by Hoshido. Corrin and Flora go to see the leader of the tribe, Klima. Corrin says that they do not wish to fight with the Ice Tribe, wanting to make peace with them. Klima asks if Garon requested Corrin to come. Before Corrin can answer, Iago enters. He tells Klima that Corrin and Elise were sent to quell the Ice Tribe's rebellion by Garon's orders. Corrin tries to explain that they were going to settle the matter with diplomacy, avoiding violence if possible, but Klima jumps to conclusions and sends the Ice Tribe members to attack Corrin. Odin and Niles, who had been following Iago by Leo's orders (as the prince was growing suspicious of him) since he left the palace, appear and help out Corrin.

After the rebellion is put down, Klima remarks on how no members of his tribe were killed. Flora is hesitant, but Klima says that she should go with Corrin to ensure that other encounters were peaceful like this one. Flora reluctantly follows along, her wish of wanting to protect Felicia and Jakob from harm winning out in the end.

When Corrin's army arrives back in Nohr, Garon is angered to find that Corrin did not defeat the rebellion alone. Iago suggests that perhaps Corrin needs to be sent out to the front lines to prove that they truly are loyal to Nohr. Garon agrees and has Corrin go conquer a fort on the border between Nohr and Hoshido.

At the fort, the army finds Nyx and Azura. Azura had been brought by the Hoshidan guards, who no longer found her trustworthy due to her Nohrian heritage after Corrin's betrayal. Nyx was trying to find a rare tome that was said to be nearby but was mistaken by Hoshidans for a Nohrian caster that could create Faceless and tried to capture her. Corrin and friends manage to rescue both Nyx and Azura from the harassment of the Hoshidans and conquer the fort. Both join the fighting force, though Azura is a bit unsure. She ultimately decides that Corrin's good intentions are enough for her. Nyx later grows into an important role in the army, acting as the tactician before Leo arrives and a helper to him once he joins.

One of the captains briefly mentions how Corrin has not stopped the prince from going forwards in his plans in a nearby port town. Corrin decides that they should get to the town and look into what is going on.

Upon their arrival, the army finds Takumi and a large number of Hoshidan fighters. Angered at Corrin's presence, Takumi sends his army to attack Corrin for their betrayal of Hoshido. The group thinks that they're overwhelmed and will be unable to win this fight without a few deaths, but luckily, reinforcements are coming. Camilla, Selena, and Beruka all appear to help out. The army holds off Takumi's forces from reaching the docks, so the second prince and his forces retreat to reconvene. Camilla brings a message to Corrin from Leo that they should head to Notre Sagesse, as he had heard from Iago that he was planning on sieging the kingdom for Nohr despite the neutral and peaceful nature of the isolated land. Knowing that the innocent people of Notre Sagesse would be harmed in the process, Corrin agrees to go there. The army hops aboard a boat and sails over there.

When they get there, they confirm that a troop of soldiers sent by Iago is in fact present, though the mage is not there. Wanting to protect the innocent civilians, Corrin fights off the Nohrians, killing them all in the process. Corrin is a bit unsure of it at first, but Elise assures them that more people would have been hurt if they hadn't come to help the innocent people. Also, a difference between this rewrite and Fates: Kaze does not join in Conquest here. I personally found it a bit peculiar, so it is not included here.

The Rainbow Sage, the leader of Notre Sagesse asks to see Corrin and Azura. He gives them Safaia and the Yato, saying that they are the heirs to these weapons of a lost kingdom surrounding Notre Sagesse. Azura is incredibly interested in this land, but she says nothing about it. The Rainbow Sage suggests that the two leave before anyone grows suspicious of them. Shortly after the group leaves, Iago appears and speaks with the Rainbow Sage briefly before killing him 'for the glory of Nohr'. Despite Corrin's wishes to protect Notre Sagesse, they were in vain, as Iago had finished the job without them.

The army returns to Krakenburg afterwards. Garon expresses his disappointment that Corrin was gone for long and didn't even take down one Hoshidan royal. Corrin feels bad due to the guilt trip, but Iago provides a suggestion to Garon. Since Corrin is so good at suppressing rebellions, maybe they should go and suppress a rebellion in the Nohrian territory Cheve. Iago has told Garon that Corrin was responsible for the fall of Notre Sagesse instead of it being him to keep Corrin from sticking around in the capital. Iago is hoping that Corrin will be killed out in battle, hopefully in Cheve where the fiercest of warriors reside. Garon agrees that Corrin is good at making territories fall or surrender such as the Ice Tribe and Notre Sagesse, so Cheve is their next destination since the Nohrian general overlooking the territory has fallen. Corrin tries to ask Garon about the attack on Hoshido once again, but Iago doesn't allow it.

On the way, Ryoma finds the Nohrian soldiers in a fort where they were resting for the night, on his way to Cheve as well to meet up with Takumi and Scarlet, who are already there. Ryoma is angered by Corrin still being with Nohr and having taken Azura on top of that, not believing that his soldiers would cast out Azura. Corrin is forced to fight so that the Nohrians can get through. During the battle, Laslow and Peri appear, both having been sent by Xander to help win the day. Ryoma ends up retreating.

The army gets to Cheve not long after. Takumi is there along with Orochi, Reina, and Scarlet. Cheve had successfully overthrown their Nohrian oppressors in the town. Corrin fights, though they truly don't want to, repeatedly reminding themselves that they won't get any answers about the Hoshidan attack without continuing to fight the innocent people. Corrin avoids killing anyone in the combat, which surprises Takumi. The Hoshidan prince asks why, and Corrin explains that they do not want anyone to be caught up in the aftermath of this war if they are truly innocent. Takumi retreats, a purple flare surrounding him briefly before he disappears. Azura remarks that he has changed for the worse and that something has gone seriously wrong. Screams interrupt their conversation. They return to Cheve to find Hans killing all the Chevois rebels. Orochi, Reina, and Scarlet are all slaughtered in the aftermath. Corrin goes to attack Hans to stop the genocide, but he threatens to expose Corrin as a traitor and weak link to Garon, which would undoubtedly result in execution and fail to help anyone. Cheve falls to Nohrians.

A letter comes from Garon, requesting the group to travel to the pleasure country of Nestra, specifically to Cyrkensia, the city that never sleeps. He is hoping to ally with Nestra in the war and wants the best reinforcements there are. Upon arriving, Azura ends up performing at the wishes of a few Nestrans who hear her singing to herself. One of their acts has been canceled due to injury, so they need someone to entertain Garon. They provide Azura with a spare costume to perform in. Azura decides to sing and dance for Garon, noticing that something about him was suspicious and reminded him of Takumi's mannerisms of anger. Garon groans in increasing discomfort and demands that Nohrians attack the soldiers. Corrin, Camilla, Leo, and Elise, recognize Azura and offer to help her sneak out from the Nohrian guards. In a stealth mission, the group manages to sneak Azura out and to safety, asking for answers about Garon's discomfort during the performance. They pick up Keaton and Jakob/Felicia (whoever Corrin didn't start with) along the way. Azura says that the song, which was taught to her by her mother, was meant to expose corruption, though she had never seen it in action before. Now having seen Garon's anger at the song and his sudden weakness to it, Azura knows that he is being corrupted by something. Leo also says that Garon has grown darker in recent years and that there is no way that he's truly the same man that he knew in his youngest years.

Garon tells the army that the duke of Nestra denied his alliance proposal. Angered by this, Garon tells them that they'll just need to conquer Nestra by force. He drags everyone into the fight against the Nestran people. During the battle, four new fighters appear. Charlotte and Benny appear with Gunter. The two border guards had found him on the Nohrian border not long before from when he was knocked unconscious and left behind by Hans just before Corrin was taken in by Hoshido. They join the army. Xander also appears by the orders of Garon and joins in the fighting at long last.

Corrin tries to spare people, but Hans and Iago don't allow it. A large number of Nestran people are killed in the minutes that follow. Garon laughs over the conquest of yet another country. Now, Cheve, Notre Sagesse, and Nestra are all under Nohrian control.

The group heads towards Hoshido next by Garon's orders. They pass through Mokushu, where they run into Shura. Shura reveals that Mokushu, while previously stating it was allied with Nohr, was planning to betray them to take over Nohr after killing Garon and the royals at a later point. The group is hesitant to believe in Shura, but Kotaro appears and strikes down Elise, which ignites a battle to take down the traitorous daimyo. They succeed and push onwards.

Garon requests that the group cut through Izumo next to conquer the country. The Nohrians follow his orders and are sent into the palace to take Izana's life. Seeing the fighting as too violent since it would kill many innocent people, Corrin spares the townspeople. Izana decides to join the fighting, trusting Corrin to end things peacefully. Everyone tells Garon that he has died, however, to keep the ruler from being killed off.

On the way to the palace, Iago sneaks off for a brief moment and overwhelms a small village with Faceless. Leo sees this and has all of Corrin's fighters follow him to see what is happening. Iago leads the Faceless in killing the villagers for sport, laughing all the while. Corrin rescues a young girl, who reveals herself to be Mozu (but due to the late nature of her join time, she's promoted into a Master of Arms). After the group saves her, Mozu joins in to keep anyone else from coming to the same fate.

Next, the group cuts through the Kitsune hamlet, running into it by accident. The leader, Kaden, suspects that they are hunters here to take the fur of his people. Corrin denies this, but the Kitsune attack anyways. Corrin spares as many people as possible before pushing onwards to Hoshido. They are hoping to spare as many people as possible, though they know that things likely will end with violence so long as Iago and Hans are present.

Nyx, who has grown into the position of a secondary tactician beside Leo, suddenly goes missing before the group can reach the last stretch into the castle town of Shirasagi. The final stretch, which has been dubbed the Eternal Stairway, ends up being a difficult area to traverse. As the group tries to figure out where Nyx has gone, Iago summons a large number of Faceless. The group struggles to push on through them, but they ultimately succeed.

When they reach the end, Iago is fighting with Nyx. Iago reveals a bit about Nyx's past before her murderous casting, saying that she was once set to inherit the knife Spectre that he now has. However, because of her spell that killed so many, including most members of her family from a noble house. The final survivor ended up being Iago's father, who passed on the knife. Iago knew full well of how dangerous Nyx was, and upon realizing she was part of the Nohrian army, decided to eliminate the threat, recognizing that she could one day turn on them and kill everyone in the army, which would lead to a Hoshidan victory. Iago stabbed her in the stomach with Spectre, leaving her badly wounded and dying.

The group retreats to the Astral Plane to treat her severe injuries, but Iago follows them. Lilith offers herself as a distraction while Elise heals Nyx's injuries, but Iago ends up killing her in the process before retreating, satisfied that he had brought the army down a notch. Corrin mourns Lilith's loss and vows to end Iago once and for all because he killed her. Nyx also gains the knife Spectre.

Angered with Iago for murdering Lilith, Corrin presses on, looking forward to finally taking him down. However, Iago is under constant surveillance from Hans and Garon, so that's easier said than done. The army is forced into their bloody conquest of Hoshido, staring with the fort where Sakura is near the palace aside Subaki, Hana, and Yukimura. Corrin spares as many people as possible in the process. Yukimura offers to surrender after being defeated if everyone there, including Sakura, gets to live. Hans ignores this and kills many Hoshidans, including Subaki and Hana. Sakura breaks down in despair, but Elise tries to console her alongside Xander. Their attempts are unsuccessful as she mourns the loss of her retainers. (Not saying she was in love with one of them, but she totally was, and it was not Subaki.)

Next, the army had to fight with Takumi, who was on the wall that surrounded the palace of Hoshido. Takumi's soldiers are all killed in the fighting, including Oboro and Hinata. When Takumi is taken down, he begins to glow with purple fire. He hurls himself from the wall afterwards, but his body has gone missing when they check. Azura mourns Takumi's supposed death, but Corrin tries to tell Azura that Takumi must be alright. Azura goes along but clearly doesn't believe her, as nobody could survive a fall from that height.

The Hoshidan castle is nearly in sight. Out in the garden of Castle Shirasagi, the group has to fight with Hinoka. Hinoka and her retainers are defeated. Instead of waiting for Hans or Iago to kill her, Hinoka asks that Corrin execute her. Camilla, who is standing by Corrin, offers to do it when Corrin denies it, but Corrin stops her and speaks up.

Corrin tells Hinoka to run. Iago and Hans are close by and they don't want her to meet the same fate as countless Hoshidans before her. They ask for her weapon as proof of her death. Hinoka says that she just wants to die at this point, knowing that Corrin and Azura have left her and that Takumi and Sakura are dead. Camilla tells her that Sakura is alive and that she wouldn't be happy to hear Hinoka had asked to die. Invigorated with hope, Hinoka hands over her weapon and runs alongside Azama and Setsuna. Camilla briefly notes that Hinoka is rather cute and that she'd love to get closer with her one day.

Corrin's army presses on into the Hoshidan throne room. Ryoma is there waiting. Iago, now with Corrin's army, tells Ryoma that Takumi has committed suicide and Hinoka was executed by Corrin before departing. Ryoma's anger increases exponentially and he lunges for Corrin. Kagero, Saizo, and Kaze all appear with more troops to fight off the other soldiers as Ryoma and Corrin duel. The group is defeated, but Ryoma survives after being struck down by Corrin.

Corrin hurriedly whispers to him that Hinoka has escaped, which surprises Ryoma. Before Corrin can explain, Iago appears with Garon. They say that it is time that the Hoshidan prince dies, as he is the last obstacle in their way. Iago and Garon push them to kill Ryoma and win the war, but Corrin hesitates. In the end, Ryoma won't allow anyone else the satisfaction of killing him. He commits seppuku and dies, telling Corrin that he thinks Hinoka will make a fine queen.

Iago takes this chance to tell Garon of what he had been doing during the fight with Ryoma. He had found none other than Hinoka leaving the area with her retainers. He recognized her as the one who scarred his arm years and years ago and captured them all, planning to execute Hinoka publicly for the insult she had caused him. Iago leaves to kill Hinoka, who is currently in the dungeon beneath the Hoshidan palace, with Hans following after him. Corrin and friends follow Iago and Hans. When they catch up, Iago has already killed Setsuna and Azama and badly beaten Hinoka. Corrin and the army fight Iago and Hans to save Hinoka from dying, winning and killing them both in the process. Elise heals Hinoka and leaves her there in the dungeon with Camilla, who is going to watch her until things are safe. Camilla, thinking Hinoka is much like Corrin, is caring to her like she is to her sibling, resulting in them developing something of a bond, even if it is incredibly strained due to the dispute between their kingdoms.

Once the group arrives back in the throne room, Garon begins to laugh. He is speaking with a man named Thalone, who had been previously unseen in the war. Thalone laughs as Garon ignites with purple flames. Thalone flees not long after, never to be seen again.

The group recognizes these flames as the same ones that surrounded Takumi, who was undoubtedly under some outside influence. Corrin and Azura tell Xander, Leo, and Elise that the only way to free him from this corruption is to end his life. All of them agree to help in memory of what their father had once been.

Garon is defeated by Corrin's army and dissolves into purple fire. While things appear to be over, an arrow flies by Corrin's head. Takumi appears, burning with the same flames, his dead body reanimated by the power of Thalone. Thalone had been able to control Takumi for quite some time. Similar to how things had gone in Birthright, Takumi had slipped into Valla briefly at the start of the war, where he encountered Thalone and was controlled by him. Following Takumi's death when he threw himself from the wall surrounding the castle town, Thalone's power revived him and left him under the man's control. Since Thalone wanted to take down both Nohr and Hoshido, Takumi follows this and tries to kill Corrin. With a large number of invisible soldiers, Takumi fights to end Corrin's life. However, he is not the only one.

Mikoto had died not long before of an illness that had struck during her recovery from her severe wounds. After her passing, Thalone approached her body and took control of her. He found her while he was fleeing from the palace to escape Corrin's forces. Mikoto ends up fighting alongside Takumi, bent to Thalone's will to destroy Nohr now that Hoshido had fallen. In the end, they are both defeated and freed from their possession though, going onto the afterlife. They give Corrin thanks before dying. Corrin tearfully wishes them farewell as they also dissipate into purple flames and fly skyward.

After the war, Xander is crowned King of Nohr. He and Queen Hinoka establish peace between their kingdoms, though they rarely interacted afterwards. Hinoka is said to have struggled with depression for the rest of her days.

Azura went missing after the war, having seen her home taken down by Nohr and unable to take it. She lived the rest of her life alone on the border of Valla, looking into the mysterious fallen kingdom that had been mentioned by the Rainbow Sage before his death. She detailed her findings in a notebook.

You have followed through to the end of the path of conquest and fate. However, you can't help but wonder what would have happened if your choice had been different…


	5. Revelation

**STEP FIVE: REVELATION**

After a difficult choice, Corrin decides to side with neither kingdom. Ryoma and Xander are shocked, but they don't linger on it long. Both send their armies out to capture Corrin, but they don't end up getting the chance. Jakob/Felicia appears and helps Corrin and Azura break through the lines of both kingdoms. They successfully escape but are pursued by both kingdoms. In a panic, the group looks for a place to hide. They eventually stumble upon the border of Valla nearby and end up accidentally falling down the steep incline and down below. Both armies retreat afterwards, but another figure still follows them.

Gunter had seen his liege running from both sides and follows Corrin, Jakob/Felicia, and Azura into the new land. None of them know the true name of this land at first, but they find a piece of paper on the ground that turns out to be a map. It says that the land is known as Valla.

The group doesn't have long to linger on it. A large number of invisible soldiers appear, shocking both Corrin and Azura. They recognize them as similar fighters to the ones who appeared when Mikoto was attacked. The soldiers attack the group, so they fight their way through. Azura and Corrin decide that the attack on Hoshido has something to do with these soldiers and that they must look into it to learn what happened involving the assault on the capital of Hoshido.

The group manages to find a way to get back up to normal land. Corrin figures that they'll have more luck trying to reason with Hoshido, so they go to a fort near the border where Sakura is located. She is accompanied by Yukimura, who is there to protect her from harm alongside her retainers and Kaze. Yukimura is hostile regardless of Corrin's insistence that they are here to make peace. After Yukimura is defeated, Sakura and her retainers exit the fort. Yukimura notes how all the soldiers have been spared, so Corrin explains that it is because they want peace for all. Sakura finds this inspiring and joins, bringing Subaki, Hana, and Kaze along with her.

Sakura advises them to next head to the Wind Tribe where Hinoka went after the fighting. On the way, we get the Mozu paralogue where Corrin's army saves her from an invasion of Faceless. Mozu joins the party to repay the debt.

Next, the group arrives at the Wind Tribe. When they arrive, Hinoka is already gone alongside her retainers. They find Rinkah, Hayato, and Fuga all there, fighting against a group of Faceless. Corrin's army helps them defend the Wind Tribe village from the monsters, gaining Rinkah and Hayato in the process. Fuga stays back to defend the Wind Tribe for the time being from any other Faceless raids.

On the way, the group runs into Takumi and his retainers, who were sent to make peace with Izumo. It is important to note that Takumi does not fall into Valla in this version, so he does not end up possessed or anything of that nature. Takumi is hostile at first, thinking Corrin to be the enemy, but Sakura manages to calm him down. Takumi decides to travel with them, but only to make Sakura happy. He also says that he will be leaving after they make peace with Izumo.

When the group arrives, they find a group of Nohrians present. Iago is leading them. Iago laughs in Corrin's face, saying that Izumo's palace has been taken for Nohr before disappearing. Corrin, refusing to accept this, fights off the Nohrians with Takumi and his retainers. They win the day, defeating the Nohrain general looking over the castle. They find Izana not long after, who says that he had a vision shortly before the castle was taken over. His vision points Corrin to Notre Sagesse. Takumi, impressed with how Corrin was doing leading the army, decides to join instead of leave. The group then makes for Notre Sagesse through the port town nearest them.

On the way, the group finds Saizo, Kagero, Orochi, and Reina surrounded by ninja from Mokushu. The ninja had claimed to be allied with Hoshido before cornering the four and attacking them. Corrin's army saves them from being killed by the daimyo, Kotaro. Saizo defeats the daimyo and says that he has gotten his revenge on the man who kills his father. Kaze convinces him to join Corrin's army alongside the other three. They join the fighting.

Upon arriving at the port town, the group runs into none other than Elise. Elise had secretly snuck away, believing that Corrin wouldn't betray them, to join them. Her retainers are with her. Corrin accepts Elise, Effie, and Arthur onto the team and makes for the boat, but is stopped by Silas, who is leading a fighting force sent by Garon to capture Corrin. Silas is hesitant, but he ends up fighting anyways out of fear that Garon would kill him if he tried to turn his back on Nohr. Among his fighters are Benny and Charlotte. They recognize Elise and decide to join her. Charlotte knows that Elise has rich brothers that might be suitable to marry. Benny just follows Charlotte. After the battle, Silas surrenders and accepts his fate. Corrin allows him to join the army instead, which he does instantly.

The group hops aboard the boat and starts towards Notre Sagesse. Soon after, the water surrounding them is frozen. Camilla, Beruka, Selena, Flora, and Felicia/Jakob (whoever Corrin did not start the game with) reveal themselves to be the culprits behind this. Camilla is leading them under orders from Garon to kill Corrin. The group ends up being defeated by Corrin's fighters. Afterwards, all five of them hop aboard the Corrin train and join the army, leaving behind Nohr.

The army arrives at Notre Sagesse without any other fights. They find the land overwhelmed with invisible soldiers. Corrin and Azura explain that these fighters are their enemy because they are the ones who appeared following the attack on Mikoto. The army fights through them and gain Nyx as an ally on the way. She has come from the Rainbow Sage herself, who told her information about her right to the knife Spectre currently wielded by the Nohrian sorcerer Iago. She tells nobody in the army of this. Nyx acts as a tactician from that point on until Leo joins the army.

After the fight, the Rainbow Sage invites Corrin and Azura up to his room on the top floor. He gives them Yato and Safaia and explains how their enemies are from the kingdom of Valla. He tells them how Valla fell to Nohrian invasion years ago. When the dragon of the land, Anankos, died, a large amount of magic was left behind, suspending the invisible soldiers in a constant state of suffering as they roam around, hoping for revenge and closure to go onto the afterlife. The Rainbow Sage doesn't know who is leading the fighting, as there is nobody who comes to mind as significant enough in Valla to be able to do such a thing. Azura and Corrin thank the Rainbow Sage for the information and depart to share it with their comrades. However, before they go, the Rainbow Sage tells them how the Yato will soon change into something new. After the Yato changes into the Omega Yato, the fully realized Fire Emblem, the group will be close to peace for all nations on Pheyura.

Meanwhile, Yukimura and Hinoka are at the Hoshidan palace with Azama and Setsuna. They are looking over Mikoto, who is recovering from a sickness that struck her after the attack on the castle town. Yukimura and Hinoka briefly leave her bedside to find a bit of medicine for her, but while they are gone, Iago appears in Mikoto's room. He kills her with the knife Spectre. Yukimura and Hinoka walk in after hearing Mikoto scream to see Iago standing above Mikoto's dead body. We get a departure chapter away from Corrin and friends in which the player takes control of Yukimura, Hinoka, Azama, and Setsuna, who take down Iago, who has a small number of Nohrian soldiers with him as backup. Iago ends up warping away, vowing revenge on Hinoka, who he recognizes from the kidnapping incident. Hinoka, realizing who he is upon seeing the scar on his arm before he disappears, takes Azama and Setsuna and leaves the palace, bringing the knife Spectre with her. She says that she has to find one of her siblings and goes to Cheve to find Ryoma.

Sakura next mentions how Ryoma was supposed to be heading towards Cheve to assist the rebels there. Corrin's army sails there next. When they arrive, they find Ryoma, Hinoka, Scarlet, Azama, and Setsuna present. Ryoma and Scarlet are close enough that one might think they were married (if only). Hinoka is telling Ryoma about Mikoto's death. Ryoma is shocked by this news. Corrin appears not long after to gain the alliance of Ryoma and Hinoka. Ryoma, seeing Takumi and Sakura with Corrin, decides to disclose the information about Mikoto's death. Corrin is shocked at this, but they don't have a moment to linger on it.

None other than Leo appears. He was sent by Garon to quell the Chevois rebellion with his retainers. The group fights him and the general leading the Chevois occupation force. Leo decides to join the fighting, trusting the judgement of his sisters, with Niles and Odin at his side. He says that he heard Garon was heading to Nestra to discuss an alliance between Nohr and Nestra. Nestra is where they're most likely to find Xander.

Before they depart, Hinoka tells Ryoma, Takumi, Sakura, and Corrin what she knows about Iago from her multiple encounters with him between Ikona's assasination, the kidnapping, and Mikoto's more recent murder. She pulls out the knife Spectre, which she had brought with her. Corrin decides to take it to keep Hinoka from panicking over it. Nyx offers to take it off Corrin's hands, which Corrin allows, unaware that Nyx wanted it because it is biologically hers.

The group travels to Nestra to meet with Xander and hopefully get him on their side. When they arrive, they find Nestra burning. Kaden and Keaton are found together, badly burned after exiting the opera house They explain that Garon was there to discuss an alliance with the duke of Nestra, though it didn't end up working out that way. Garon attacked the duke after he refused the alliance, killing him. He had the Nohrians decide to burn Nestra to the ground in his anger.

A group of Nohrians recognize the traitors of the crown, Camilla, Leo, and Elise, and attack. Xander appears during the fight with Laslow and Peri. He says that his father's ruthless burning of Nestra is nothing short of dreadful and that he can no longer stand for it. He decides to switch to Corrin's army, bringing his retainers with him. The army defeats the Nohrian fighters.

Now with a sufficient fighting force and all the royals on their side, Corrin has the army head for the Vallite border. Before the group slides down into Valla, three other fighters appear. Izana, Yukimura, and Fuga decide to lend their blades to Corrin after trusting that their homes are left in good hands. They all want the war to end to keep further harm from coming to the people of Izumo, Hoshido, and the Wind Tribe respectively. Corrin allows them on board and the group slides down into the canyon.

However, once the group arrives down in Valla, Hans appears. He and Iago had grown suspicious of Xander's disappearance and trailed after the group. Iago and Garon are close behind Hans, set to arrive soon. Hans sends an axe at Ryoma, intending to kill him, but Scarlet jumps in the way and is knocked unconscious. She's not dead because that would be a ridiculous plot device that wouldn't be sensible to anyone. Angered, the group fights him and defeats him.

Iago arrives next, ready to kill the army. He notices Hinoka among the fighters and proclaims that he's finally going to kill the pesky child who wounded him so many years ago. Reflective of years before, Hinoka shoots an arrow at him, but this time, it's from Warrior Princess and impales him right through the chest. Bye, Iago.

Suddenly, the Yato begins to glow. With all of the weapons of the dragons fighting alongside one another instead of against each other, the Yato is reacting. The Yato changes into the Omega Yato. Corrin recalls what the Rainbow Sage told them and recognizes the Omega Yato for what it is, the one and only Fire Emblem, the symbol of peace in the world.

The group cannot stare at the blade in awe for long, though. Garon appears and fights the group with a faction of invisible soldiers. Azura figures that he's under the same influence of the invisible soldiers from the mysterious figure in Valla the Rainbow Sage brought up. The group fights Garon and he dies, disappearing into purple fire as he passes on. Xander and his siblings say farewell to their father but are glad that he is freed from whatever influence was controlling him. Scarlet wakes up afterwards and decides to join the fighting once again. Ryoma expresses happiness that she is safe. They may or may not share a kiss at this moment. Add it in or don't depending on your ships.

The army next encounters a man who bears much resemblance to Azura. Unbeknownst to the army, it is none other than Azura's birth father, Rivalis. Seeing him as the enemy, the army fights him and defeats him. Rivalis is freed from his possession in his final moments and says farewell to his daughter. Azura gasps in surprise but is unable to get any other bits of information from him before he too disappears into the purple fire.

Next, the group fights the possessed Katarina. Xander recognizes her as his mother while nobody else knows her. He knows that she is not herself and allows the others to fight her. Her army is made up of the many concubines who passed away in the concubine wars, including the mothers of Camilla, Leo, and Elise. Katarina bids her son farewell when she is defeated and passes on and into the afterlife. Xander says goodbye and vows to defeat whoever brought her back to suffer in this way. The other three go through the same rite with their mothers before the group presses on.

Ikona is the next possessed being that the group encounters. Hinoka ends up breaking down upon seeing her mother again after her assassination. Ikona, however, ignores her and commands her invisible soldiers to fight the army. After she is defeated and snapped out of her trance, Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura bid farewell to the mother that they barely knew growing up. Ikona says that she's proud of what they've become before vanishing.

Similar to how the previous three people were fought, Arete appears and is thrown into battle with Corrin's army. Azura recognizes her mother and is torn to see her alive again following her suicide. After Arete is defeated, she tells Azura the truth about her past involving Rivalis. Arete reveals that Azura is the heir to Valla now that she is gone. She also apologizes to Azura for leaving her when she was so young. Azura cries in her mother's arms before Arete disappears. Azura composes herself and insists that the army move forward, but Corrin confronts her alone. Corrin helps Azura with her grief regarding her mother's death and consoles her. Azura thanks them for it and promises to pay them back after the war has ended.

Sumeragi resides just outside the palace. The Hoshidan siblings are surprised to see him but know that they must fight him regardless. He is no longer himself, now a puppet of whoever is controlling them all. Sumeragi is defeated. Before passing on, he muses on how his children are so grown up now. He smiles to them before vanishing. The Hoshidan siblings push the army ever onward to defeat who was doing this.

Mikoto is on the bottom floor of the palace with another faction of invisible soldiers. She says that she regrets having to see so many of her children on the other side of the battlefield, but she fights on due to her controlled status. Once she and her soldiers are defeated, Mikoto tells Corrin of their past. She explains how Corrin was born to her and Thalone. After her death, Mikoto learned how Thalone was the reincarnation of Anankos, the dragon of Valla. She tells Corrin this as well as how Corrin is royalty of Valla through her since she is the sister of Arete. Thalone's power has corrupted him and left him a shell of his former self obsessed with revenge against the people who hurt the Vallites so. Finally, Mikoto explains how she learned Lilith and Corrin are siblings through Thalone, which shocks Corrin. She says goodbye to her children and niece before vanishing.

Finally, Thalone appears. Since he hasn't seen Corrin in so long, he doesn't even recognize them. He absorbs the power of his defeated soldiers and regains his most powerful form, that of the true Anankos as a dragon. The Nohrians recognize his human form as being with Garon from time to time, likely because Garon was under his influence. With no other choice, the group goes into battle to defeat Thalone once and for all.

The army first defeats Anankos' dragon form before moving on to the human version. After Thalone is defeated, he realizes his wrongs and how he was consumed by revenge. He tells Laslow, Selena, Odin, and Lilith how thankful he is that they helped him out before. He also tells his two children, Lilith and Corrin, how glad he is that they're grown and happy. He sheds a single tear before dying, leaving Valla without a god like Hoshido and Nohr.

We skip to see Corrin being dubbed the ruler of Valla by Azura. Valla will take much time to recover from the disastrous state it was left in for so long, but Corrin is up to the challenge. Corrin vows to make the land into something new and better and to restore the land to its former glory.

Ryoma and Xander, now kings of their countries, vow to help Corrin restore their country to how it had once been before the war. Peace is established between all countries of the continent. An effort to rebuild Nestra goes into effect. Scarlet helps Cheve to recover. Rinkah returns to Aulane to help rule over the Flame Tribe. Izana goes back to Izumo to rule his land as well. Kohga is established once more with Shura leading it. Mokushu is given to Kagero, who allows it to be an independent Hoshidan territory similar to the Wind Tribe. Notre Sagesse continues to be ruled over by the peaceful Rainbow Sage.

As for Nohr and Hoshido, a peace contract is forged that keeps the countries both satisfied. Nohr receives the food that it has needed for so many years but never got. Hoshido becomes closer with Nohr than ever. Valla begins to thrive after a few years of rebuilding.

Everyone seems to be happy. Nobody in the army has died and peace now rules over the land as the war rebuilding effort begins.

You have followed through to the end of the path of silence and blood. In any other situation, you would wonder how things would be if your initial choice had been different. However, now, you feel like it couldn't have gone better.


	6. Hidden Truths

**STEP SIX: HIDDEN TRUTHS**

 **It all kicks off roughly five years before Fates when Inigo, Severa, and Owain receive an odd letter in their homeland of Ylisse from a mysterious person asking to meet them at the Mila Tree. The group follows the instructions of the person who wrote the letter and goes there. They run into Thalone upon arriving.**

 **Thalone reveals that he is the one who asked to meet them there, saying that he needs their help with something. He was from a far-off land and had heard of the exploits of the children who traveled through time. He needs their help to find his lost child, one named Corrin.**

 **Thalone explains the situation of the continent of Pheuyura and how it had been swallowed up by a war started by Nohr and Hoshido many years ago. He tells them that the war has spread wide in recent years and that many lives have been affected or lost in the process.**

 **The trio agrees to help Thalone with his problem. After having lived through the hellish future that they had escaped from, they didn't want anyone else to suffer through intense war of that sort. Thalone accepts this and takes them off to Valla to finish up their conversation.**

 **Upon arriving in Valla, Thalone tells them a bit more of the situation. He says that the world was founded by three dragons, Akiri, Yugare, and Anankos. While Akiri and Yugare had died many years ago, Anankos lived up until recently. He had been killed in an invasion from the kingdom of Nohr. Many people from his kingdom of Valla had died and were now left in a state of suffering eternally. The royals of Valla had gone missing as well.**

 **One of the lost royals was Thalone's child, Corrin. Corrin and their mother had fled from Valla during a second invasion that destroyed the kingdom completely. Thalone had sacrificed himself to keep them from coming to any harm, but now, he wanted to know if they had survived. Thalone couldn't search alone, so he reached out to the trio of heroes.**

 **Severa, Owain, and Inigo knew of the tragedy that came with losing a parent due to having experienced it all before. They agree to help Thalone to find Corrin wherever they may be. Thalone says that they aren't aware of where Corrin is, but that a little bit of research might go a long way.**

 **Before Thalone can say anything, a small group of Faceless appear. They had been sent by Nohrian mages to ensure that Valla was still empty and that nobody was hiding inside the fallen land. Thalone panics and asks for Severa, Owain, and Inigo to help him fight them off. He knew little of combat, so the other three would have to help him remain safe.**

 **After the battle, a rout mission, Thalone explains that they will be joined in their search by one other. Her name is Lilith. She is a young lady created from some excess magic from Anankos' death that recently found a form. Thalone doesn't tell the group that he was the one who gave her a physical form due to being Anankos reincarnated, as he doesn't know how they'll react and it isn't crucial that they know this sort of information.**

Thalone tries to call for Lilith, but he doesn't get a response. Fearing the worst, Thalone leaves to see if he can find her. In the end, he does find her, but she is being surrounded by the Nohrian mages who summoned the Faceless. Lilith cries out for help from Thalone. She is unable to transform to defend herself, as she was never taught to fight. Later, she learns on how to use knives and daggers, but at this time, she doesn't know how to (so Lilith can be used in actual combat from the start of each path and can be deployed in maps using dragonstones and knives but is also present in castle battles in her dragon form). Severa, Owain, and Inigo launch into battle once again to save her. Before retreating, the leader of the group remarks on how Thalone looks similar to the newest Nohrian royal, Corrin.

Thalone hears this and tells Severa, Owain, Inigo, and Lilith that they now know their destination is Nohr. While Thalone isn't exactly happy to be sending them off to the land that destroyed Valla, he sees no other choice. He knows that a terrible fate would undoubtedly befall him due to his status as a royal from Valla, which means sending the quartet to Nohr is the best option.

Before they set off, Thalone says that the trio of foreigners will need their appearances to be changed so that none of the survivors from the invasion can recognize them. He changes Severa into Selena, Owain into Odin, and Inigo into Laslow. He also provides them with jewels that originate in Valla that allow for long distance travel. Thalone tells them that the jewels can take them home after they have finished their mission. A large supply of them is found in the Vallite mines, so they can easily get many more if they ever find the need to have others.

The group leaves behind Thalone, promising to find Corrin and bring them home for him. Thalone gives his farewells as well, but unfortunately, his wishes never come to pass.

Selena, Odin, and Laslow eventually become retainers to Camilla, Leo, and Xander respectively due to their fighting expertise. Lilith ends up working with Corrin in the Northern Fortress. While the group does converse over their mission sometimes, Lilith says that it's impossible to get Corrin out of the fortress without Garon realizing what has happened.

By the time that Corrin is allowed to leave the fortress, Lilith senses that it isn't a good idea to take Corrin back to Thalone. Thalone has begun working behind the scenes with Garon, only appearing from time to time to help him control people. Thalone is too far over the edge, having been driven mad in his path to revenge. Corrin wouldn't be safe if they went back to Thalone now. The group never takes Corrin back, so Corrin ends up unaware of their relation to Thalone until Revelation exposes the truth behind the situation.


	7. Heirs of Fate

**STEP SEVEN: HEIRS OF FATE**

From here, we have a large time skip after Birthright and Conquest. Heirs of Fate does not take place in the Revelation timeline at all.

Years after the war behind Hoshido and Nohr have come to a close, the kingdoms are at peace. There are two timelines, one where Hoshido won the war and one where Nohr won. These timelines branched off at the Branch of Fate where Corrin made their fateful decision that altered the course of the war for both sides in the fighting.

All of the major fighters in the wars have settled down and had children. In the case of the royals, they are being groomed to rule the kingdom. The others are just receiving a regular childhood since the war is no more.

However, this all changes one day when invisible soldiers appear for both sides. In Birthright and Conquest, the invisible soldiers never passed on into the afterlife since Thalone still lives in Conquest. Thalone's immense power had the timelines close enough that he could impact the one he wasn't from, Birthright. The soldiers overwhelm all the fighters, killing those who fought in the first war.

Why did it take so long for the soldiers to take their revenge? Thalone knew that he had lost the war, but since he was badly injured in the fighting, wouldn't have his immense power back for quite some time. It was enough time for the soldiers to settle down and begin the rebuilding effort, forging families in the process.

The soldiers appear and attack those from the war because Thalone wanted his revenge on both kingdoms since he didn't have his chance all those years ago. In Conquest, since he survives, he uses his power to reach into the other world and attack the people who survived over there.

The fighters from the wars ended up being killed in the fighting, so they sent their children away to safety. The children were split up into four groups depending on their timeline and who ran into them.

The first group comprises of female Kana (F!Kana for the sake of abbreviation), Kiragi, Mitama, Selkie, and Hisame. After explaining their pasts in a hurry, they are assaulted by invisible soldiers. Somehow, the group manages to fight them off using the weapons that they were given by their parents during the chaos earlier on. After the fighting, a mysterious young man (Shigure) appears before them and asks that they help him defeat the one responsible. The group agrees, wanting to know what is going on. Shigure takes the group to a safe spot just outside of Valla before disappearing, saying he has other people to find.

This Shigure is the son of Conquest's Azura, who only disappeared after the war instead of dying. She did, however, later meet her end at the hands of invisible soldiers when Shigure was young. Afterwards, he began to travel around, searching for more information about the invisible soldiers. He is guided by a small journal written by Azura before she died, detailing the war and Valla, which she went to a few times before settling down and having Shigure with an unknown man who died when Shigure was young. This was when Shigure found the large quantity of jewels with the power of transportation mentioned in Hidden Truths since they were detailed in the journal. Upon picking one up, he finds himself in the middle of the fighting on the Hoshidan side, a timeline which he doesn't know. He explores before finding F!Kana and Kiragi's team. When he leaves, he's intending to find the Nohrian royal children mentioned in the notebook (since Azura had heard of Siegbert and Forrest's births before her demise), though this doesn't happen until later on.

Shigure ends up finding a few others not long after. He runs into a small force being led by Shiro. The other members are Asugi, Midori, Caeldori, and Rhajat. After helping to rescue them, Shigure takes them to the same spot outside of Valla where the others are. Shigure briefly enters Valla and finds the jewels used for transportation and provides one to all the others, realizing that if he wants to find the Nohrian children that were mentioned in his mother's journal (since Azura had heard of them before her demise), he'll need to use one of the jewels once again. The group crosses timelines.

In the Nohrian timeline, M!Kana, Forrest, Nina, Ophelia, Sophie, and Dwyer all cross paths. Things aren't going for them since their parents were all killed by the invisible soldiers. After fighting a few of them off, they are met by Shigure and the Hoshidan fighters. Shigure realizes that they are still missing the Siegbert character mentioned by Azura.

The group travels for a little longer before they cross paths with Siegbert, Velouria, Ignatius, Soleil, and Percy. All of them are fighting off more invisible soldiers. With the help of the newcomers, they come out victorious.

Now that all of the children are together, Shigure flips through the notebook and puts the pieces together. The invisible soldiers, she had learned, were being controlled by a man who once sided with Nohr during the war named Thalone. He had survived the war and was now in Valla. In order to stop everything, then the group would need to eliminate this Thalone figure that was responsible for everything.

The group heads into Valla, ready to defeat Thalone. While they aren't sure if their parents will return afterwards, they still need to right this wrong while they have the chance. Shigure and the two Kanas lead the group into battle against another faction of invisible soldiers.

These soldiers are in no way regular, however. They are the many puppets that have fallen under Thalone's influence over the year. These include Mikoto, Sumeragi, Ikona, Katarina, Arete, Rivalis, and Garon. Nobody in the army recognizes them, but the player (if this was a real game) does. None of the puppets recognize the group members either, as they were all dead by the time that these children were born.

Once these fighters had been defeated, the group heads forwards, ready to fight Thalone and win the day after all this anguish. They find Thalone in the Vallite palace and prepare to fight him, but they are met with a surprise that brings even more grief to the army.

All of their parents who had died were now reanimated by the power of Thalone and were prepared to fight their children to the death. Shigure told the children that their parents were no longer themselves and that fighting them would free their spirits from the control of Thalone.

The army took down their reanimated parents and then fought Thalone. The pair of Kanas delivered the finishing blow, sending out a shockwave of magic that has now dissipated into the air due to Thalone's death as well as the fall of so many of his puppets. The immense power reverses time back to before the whole incident took place, back when the parents of the children were still alive, but this time, Thalone and his puppets are gone permanently.

Back in the fixed timeline, the children all reunite with their parents, though none of them have any memories of the event due to the odd impacts of Thalone's power. However, fate dictates that one day, they all will meet in one timeline, together and happy for the rest of their days… But for now, only a large and unexpected revelation will be able to tell when.


	8. Character Updates

**STEP EIGHT: CHARACTER UPDATES**

After going through this and writing everything down, I realized how many changes between the canon backstories and the rewrite there were. I decided to list them all here. If there are no changes, I'll write 'same as canon' or something along those lines. I'll also include a few NPC units such as Sumeragi, Mikoto, and Arete with their updates. The new spouses will be added as well at the bottom.

Note: All child units are stated as 'same as canon' but that is when you keep in mind the changes made to Heirs of Fate. Instead of having Deeprelams, there's a time skip. With that small difference, everything else is the same, but the children grew up with their parents instead of alone in the Deeprealms. Just something to remember.

 ** _Corrin:_** Born in Valla to Mikoto and Thalone. Heir to Yato. Fled Valla with Mikoto when Valla was invaded. Lived in Hoshido until kidnapping incident where they witnessed Sumeragi's murder at the hands of Iago and Garon.

 ** _Azura:_** Born in Valla to Arete and Rivalis. Heir to Safaia, Vallite pendant, and Lost in Thoughts All Alone. Father died when Azura and mother fled Valla during Nohrian invasion. Lived alone in Nohr palace when mother married Garon. Was closed off during concubine wars when mother committed suicide. A survivor of the concubine wars. Was kidnapped by Shura as revenge from Corrin's kidnapping.

 ** _Felicia:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Flora:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Jakob:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Kaze:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Silas:_** Instead of being Corrin's friend from childhood, pretty much grew up with them. Visited Northern Fortress often when not deployed on battlefield. Halfway Corrin's retainer.

 ** _Mozu:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Shura:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Ryoma:_** High prince of Hosido and older son of Sumeragi and Ikona. Heir to Raijinto. Set to rule Hoshido one day once Mikoto resings the throne or passes away.

 ** _Hinoka:_** Older princess of Hoshido and daughter of Sumeragi and Ikona. Heir to Warrior Princess. Witnessed assassination of Ikona at young age. Also saw Corrin's kidnapping and Sumeragi's murder. Shot an arrow at the culprit and wants to find the man who did kidnapped Corrin.

 ** _Takumi:_** Younger prince of Hoshido and son of Sumeragi and Ikona. Heir to Fujin Yumi. Easily controlled by Thalone due to severe inferiority complex.

 ** _Sakura:_** Younger princess of Hoshido and daughter of Sumeragi and Ikona. Heir of Sanata. Rumors say she was meant to be the kidnapping victim instead of Corrin.

 ** _Saizo:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Kagero:_** Daughter to Kotaro of Mokushu who was kidnapped and taken to Hoshido the day that Saizo and Kaze's father were killed by Kotaro.

 ** _Azama:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Setsuna:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Hinata:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Oboro:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Subaki:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Hana:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Hayato:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Rinkah:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Orochi:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Kaden:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Reina:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Scarlet:_** Leader of Chevois rebellion. Parents killed by Nohrian soldiers in Cheve, resulting in her rebellion. Granddaughter of a powerful Chevois knight that taught her to fight.

 ** _Yukimura:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Xander:_** Crown prince of Nohr and son of Katarina and Garon. Heir of Siegfried. Set to rule Nohr one day. Loyal to crown and family above all else. A survivor of the concubine wars.

 ** _Camilla:_** Older princess of Nohr and daughter to Garon and an unknown concubine. Heir to Sukeyu. Fought in concubine wars that took mother's life and was one of four survivors.

 ** _Leo:_** Younger prince of Nohr and son to Garon and an unknown concubine. Heir to Brynhildr. Fought in concubine wars that took mother's life. A survivor of the concubine wars.

 ** _Elise:_** Younger princess of Nohr and daughter to Garon and an unknown concubine. Heir to Moonlight. Born after concubine wars. Mother passed away of illness.

 ** _Laslow:_** Agent of Thalone who came from far-off land. Real name is Inigo, a famous dancer from his homeland. Assigned to find and protect Corrin from harm by Thalone.

 ** _Peri:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Selena:_** Agent of Thalone who came from far-off land. Real name is Severa, a retainer to Ylisse's princess, Lucina. Assigned to find and protect Corrin from harm by Thalone.

 ** _Beruka:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Odin:_** Agent of Thalone who came from far-off land. Real name is Owain of House Ylisse. Assigned to find and protect Corrin from harm by Thalone.

 ** _Niles:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Arthur:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Effie:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Nyx:_** Daughter of a noble house living in a thriving town. A sorceress cast away after killing many with magic inside that town. Lives on eternally in a child's body due to the magic. Was sent away before she could inherit knife Spectre, her birthright as part of her house. Lives not as noble, thinking she doesn't deserve it after her past. Relative to Iago. Unaware of birthright of Spectre as of beginning of Fates.

 ** _Charlotte:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Benny:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Keaton:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Gunter:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Izana:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Fuga:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Kana:_** Same as canon. In Revelation, though, Corrin has twins, the male named Kanas and the female named Kana.

 ** _Shigure:_** Same as canon in Revelation timeline, but in Conquest, was born away from others after war due to Azura's isolation.

 ** _Dwyer:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Sophie:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Midori:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Shiro:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Kiragi:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Asugi:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Mitama:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Hisame:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Caeldori:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Rhajat:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Selkie:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Siegbert:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Forrest:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Soleil:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Ophelia:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Percy:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Ignatius:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Velouria:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Anna:_** Same as canon.

 ** _Lilith:_** Created by Thalone to help Laslow, Selena, and Odin to find Corrin. Otherwise same as canon.

 ** _Giovanni:_** King of Nohr before Garon. Started war against Hoshido over argument and food supply. Died of old age.

 ** _Haruto:_** King of Hoshido before Sumeragi. Started war against Nohr after lashing out at Giovanni. Died of old age.

 ** _Aika:_** Queen of Valla before Arete. Tried to moderate war between Nohr and Hoshido. Died of old age.

 ** _Garon:_** King of Nohr. Married Katarina and later Arete. Had countless children to concubines, causing concubine wars. Killed Sumeragi and kidnapped Corrin in Nestra.

 ** _Katarina:_** Garon's first wife who died of illness, which resulted in the invasion of Valla.

 ** _Sumeragi:_** Deceased king of Hoshido. Married Ikona and later Mikoto. Killed by Garon in front of Corrin and Hinoka.

 ** _Ikona:_** Sumeragi's first wife who was killed by Iago in front of Hinoka.

 ** _Arete:_** Queen of Valla. Fled when it was invaded by Nohr. Was forced into marriage with Garon, who believed she was reincarnation of Katarina. Committed suicide during concubine wars.

 ** _Mikoto:_** Second princess of Valla and queen of Hoshido. Fled when it was invaded by Nohr. Lived as second wife to Sumeragi after going to Hoshido.

 ** _Rivalis:_** King of Valla. Died when Nohr invaded Valla.

 ** _Thalone:_** Reincarnation of Anankos. Married Mikoto and had Corrin. Acted as distraction for wife and child when they left Valla. Asked for help from Selena, Odin, and Laslow to get child back. Also created Lilith for same purpose. Slowly slipped into madness, wanting revenge on the countries that had ripped his wife and child from him.

 ** _Akiri:_** Dawn Dragon that founded Hoshido. Provided legendary weapons, throne, and crown to Hoshido before death.

 ** _Yugare:_** Dusk Dragon that founded Nohr. Provided legendary weapons and crown to Nohr before death.

 ** _Anankos:_** Midnight Dragon that founded Valla. Provided legendary weapons, crown, dragonstone, pendant, and song to Valla. Lived there for many years before being killed in a Nohrian invasion. Was reincarnated into Thalone.

 ** _Iago:_** Heir to Spectre and right-hand man to Garon. Killed Ikona to gain king's favor. Later helped him kill Sumeragi and kidnap Corrin. Has arrow scar on arm from being shot at by Hinoka. Relative of Nyx.

 ** _Hans_** ** _:_** Right-hand man to Garon who conquered Cheve as a Nohrian general to gain the favor of the king. Now works as ruthless fighter known for murderous streak in Nohrian army.

* * *

 _ **And there you have it! That's how I would have written Fire Emblem Fates' story if I were on the writing team!**_

 _ **This was a very fun project to do and I'm glad that I did it. I hope that you guys enjoyed it along the way.**_

 _ **Now, here's hoping that there aren't any plot holes in it. I finished up Revelation at 1:45 AM, about when I'm posting this story. Hope I didn't make any mistakes in my late night shenanigans.**_

 _ **Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed! If you're coming here from some other place on the internet and not because you read my stuff since I write it, I advise you to check out my other Fire Emblem story, Demon of Desire. It (I hope) has a better story than Fates, so maybe you'll enjoy it.**_

 _ **That should about wrap it up. I hope that you guys liked my interpretation of Fire Emblem Fates. This ended up being 58 pages and 19,276 words. Damn. Didn't know I could type that much up in the span of four days. Combined with my work on my regular story updates, I've typed around 27k words the past four days. Wow. I have too much free time and need a social life.**_

 _ **Well, time for me to sleep. If it's as late for you as it is for me, go to bed. If not, go out and have a good day. I'll see you guys later!**_

 _ **-Digital**_


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